Lee Carsley said this week that achieving back-to-back European titles at under-21 level could help to enhance the reputation of British coaches, not to mention this group of young England players. An impressive quarter-final victory over a Spain side who were the pre-tournament favourites and intent on dishing out revenge will certainly not have done either any harm.
After England struggled to reach the last eight with an inexperienced squad that is one of the youngest in Slovakia, goals from James McAtee and Harvey Elliott – both of whom have uncertain futures at their clubs – and a late penalty from Elliot Anderson sealed another triumph for Carsley over the same opponents England saw off in the 2023 final. With the Netherlands up next in Wednesday’s semi-final in Bratislava, he is now two matches away from matching Dave Sexton’s feat of winning this competition in 1982 and 1984.
